Harvey Kurtzman, 68, Cartoonist Who Helped Start Mad Magazine

By RICHARD D. LYONS

Published: February 22, 1993

Correction Appended

Harvey Kurtzman, a prominent cartoonist and historian of pop culture who helped found Mad magazine and was also a guiding force in several other satirical magazines, died yesterday at his home in Mount Vernon, N.Y. He was 68.

Byron Preiss, his publisher, said he died from complications of liver cancer. Mr. Preiss described Mr. Kurtzman as "one of the greatest cartoonists of the 20th century."

Mr. Kurtzman began comic book work in 1943 when he first appeared in Ace's Magno. He later worked at Hey Look and Timely Comics, and in 1950 he moved to the publishing house EC Comics, which was owned by William M. Gaines, who died last year.

Mr. Kurtzman, who had been interviewing Korean War veterans for combat comic books, came down with jaundice and decided to create something that he could write from his sickbed. Encouraged by Gaines

Mr. Gaines encouraged Mr. Kurtzman's idea for a magazine that later became Mad, which first appeared in 1952.

Several years later Mr. Kurtzman left to be the guiding force behind another magazine, Trump, which was backed by Hugh Hefner. He also worked on other magazines like Humbug and Help!

Mr. Kurtzman was credited with being the creative force behind the mascot of the original Mad, the impish Alfred E. Neuman, as well as the strip "Little Annie Fanny" in Playboy.

Mr. Kurtzman grew up reading Sunday newspaper comic strips, became obsessed with the genre and had his first cartoon published when he was 14. He attended the High School of Music and Art in Manhattan, and was a scholarship student at Cooper Union. Taught Cartoon Storytelling

He later edited Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat for EC Comics before going on to Mad. Mr. Kurtzman also taught cartoon storytelling at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan.

Art Spiegelman, a fellow artist and friend, described Mr. Kurtzman as "the spiritual godfather of underground comics."

Mr. Kurtzman wrote a children's book, "My Life As a Cartoonist," as well as Strange Adventures, and perhaps his most celebrated book, "From Aargh! to Zap!, Harvey Kurtzman's Visual History of the Comics," which was published two years ago.

His survivors include his wife, Adele; three daughters, Cornelia, Elizabeth and Meredith; and a son, Peter.

Photo: Harvey Kurtzman. (Byron Preiss Visual Publications)

Correction: February 23, 1993, Tuesday An obituary in some copies yesterday about Harvey Kurtzman, a cartoonist and historian of pop culture, misstated his role with Mad magazine. Mr. Kurtzman was the founder and creator of Mad. The obituary also referred incorrectly to his book "From Aargh! to Zap!" It is his most recent book. A corrected obituary appears today on page B7.